TrumpMania: 2020 Election Special Edition
Lavie Margolin publishes the sequel just in time for the presidential election.
There’s WrestleMania, there’s PretzelMania and over the past four years, we’ve been living in TrumpMania.
If that last one sounds familiar, it’s because Lavie Margolin published that book more than two-and-a-half years ago. It’s the definitive history between President Donald Trump and his real-life friend, on-screen rival and fellow mogul: Vince McMahon. Covering their relationship from the late 1980s to 2017, TrumpMania focuses on not only pro wrestling’s influence on the Commander-in-Chief, but also Trump’s overwhelmingly positive effect on WWE.
Of course, the world has completely changed since The Apprentice star took office. COVID-19 has disrupted our daily lives, major American cities are filled with protests and riots, conspiracy theories have fueled growing movements and social media has become an even bigger cesspool than previously imagined. WWE has also experienced significant change with its first legitimate competition in 20 years, the failed revival of the XFL and its controversial, yet extremely lucrative relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Margolin touches on all those changes in his sequel TrumpMania: 2020 Election Special Edition. With his penchant for painstaking research and heavy documentation, he spends 272 pages tracing Trump’s history in sports-entertainment, from hosting WrestleMania IV and V to the Battle of the Billionaires to “purchasing” Raw to his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2013. Understandably written for non-fans with every character described as if being heard of for the first time, TrumpMania also provides enough nuggets to keep diehards engaged.
As was the case in the first book, Linda McMahon remains the third major character, playing a pivotal role in the relationship between her husband and boss. From Linda’s first high-profile outing at the hearing for New Jersey to deregulate pro wrestling to her political aspirations and eventual position in Trump’s cabinet, Margolin covers her rise from Vince’s trusted partner to Trump’s loyal supporter, in spite of changing her tune as he gained momentum on the campaign trail.
Another major character in the TrumpMania sequel is Jesse Ventura, successful wrestler-turned-genre-defining broadcaster. With his pivot to politics in the early ‘90s and shocking victories in both the mayoral and gubernatorial elections, the WWE Hall of Famer paved the way for outsiders to enter the political arena with confidence. Margolin examines Ventura’s campaign strategies and his relationship with Trump, which began as buddies and possible running mates and evolved into potential (if you believe Ventura’s frequent teases) opponents.
Also, if you haven’t learned from the first book or if you don’t follow @Laviemarg, he’s not a fan of the Trump administration. Depending on how you feel about the president, that could be a knock or a selling point.
If you read the first TrumpMania, I can’t recommend purchasing this one because most of the content is similar. However, if you’ve never checked out either of the books, you should definitely snatch up the 2020 Special Election Edition. Even if you’re not into politics, the information is fascinating and it’s hard to argue with Margolin’s thesis: the McMahons and WWE greatly contributed to Trump’s rise to the presidency.
We’ll find out after Nov. 3 if they also helped him win a second term.
TrumpMania: Vince McMahon, WWE and the Making of America’s 45th President: 2020 Election Special Edition is available on Amazon.
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